Automatic alarm and signal device.



J. D. NELSON.

AUTOMATIC ALARM AND SIGNAL DEVICE. APPLICATION 21 L111) M341, 1911.

1,060,781 Patented May 6,-1913. N

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH col, WASHINGTON. u. c

ion

JAMES D. NELSON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC ALARM AND SIGNAL DEVICE.

Application filed February 11, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES D. NELSON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Au tomaticAlarm and Signal Devices, of which the following is a specification.

lVith some types of automatic alarm and signal devices, it is necessaryto deliver alternating current to the alarm circuit of the devicesduring the periods that the alarm devices are inoperative and to employdirect current while the alarm devices are operative or are transmittingsignals. The use of alternating currents gives rise to dilficulties,since the indicating instruments of the relay devices controlling theseinstruments are alternately subjected to maximum and zero current, andtend to vibrate, and consequently to transmit signals, while the alarmor signal devices are inoperative.

An object of this invention is to produce means for supplyingalternating current to the alarm circuits and for overcoming thedifficulties ordinarily encountered, due to subjecting the indicatinginstruments, or the relay devices controlling such instruments toperiods of zero current.

A further object is to produce means for producing alternating orpulsating current in an alarm circuit, which will not subject -theindicating instruments, or the relay devices controlling suchinstruments, operating in connection with the alarm circuits, to periodsof maximum and zero current.

These and other objects I attain by means of apparatus embodying thefeatures herein described and illustrated.

In the single sheet drawing accompanying and forming a part of thisapplication, I have diagrammatically illustrated apparatus embodying myinvention, shown in connection with diagrammatically illustrated alarmand local circuits.

Referring to the drawings :the illustrated embodiment of my inventionincludes two separate sources of direct-current, a relay device 3, anoscillating switch 4, and an accelerating device 5 for the pole-changer.The source of direct-current illustrated c011- sists of batteries 6 and7, which are electrically connected to the oscillating switch 4. Thepositive electrode of the battery 6 is connected to a Winding 8 of oneof the elec- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1913.

Serial No. 607,929.

tro-magnets of the relay device 3, and its negative electrode isgrounded. The negative electrode of the battery 7 is connected to awinding 9 of an electro-magnet of the relay device and its positiveelectrode is grounded. The electro-magnets in which the windings 8 and 9are included, 00- operate in controlling a spring-restrained armature10, which is adapted to make and break a local circuit 11, whichincludes an indicating device, such as an electric bell 12, and a sourceof direct-current supply 13. When the relay 3 is demagnetized, thearmature 10 is released and is moved by its restraining spring, so thatit completes the circuit 11 and rings the electric bell 12.

The oscillating switch 4, illustrated, consists of mercury cups 14 and15, which are respectively connected to the windings 8 and 9 of therelay 3 a pendulum actuated circuit breaker, a pendulum 16, and thependulum accelerator 5. The mercury cup 14 is adapted to containmercury, which is electrically connected to the winding 8, and,consequently, to the battery 6, by a wire 17, through which the currentalways flows in the same direction. The mercury cup 15 is adapted tocontain mercury, which is electrically connected to the winding 9, and,consequently, to the battery 7, by a wire 18, through which the currentflows in an opposite direction to the flow through the wire 17 Thecircuit breaker, illustrated, consists of an arm 19, which is pivotallymounted between the cups 14 and 15 and is provided at its ends withfingers 21 and 22, adapted to project into the cups 14 and 15,respectively, and to make electrical connection with the mercurycontained in the cups. The pendulum 16 is shown as integrally formedwith the arm 19, and the arm is connected to an alarm circuit 23 bymeans of a wire 24. The fingers 21 and 22 are so arranged that theirperiods of electrical connection with the mercury in the respective cups14 and 15 overlap; that is the finger 21 continues to contact with themercury in the cup 14, after the finger 22 is in contact with themercury in the cup 15, and, on the return swing of the pendulum, thefinger 22 remains in contact with the mercury, after the finger 21contacts with the mercury in the cup 14. l/Vith this arrangement, theperiods of current-flow from the batteries 6 and 7 through the windings8 and 9 of the relay 3, will overlap, and, consequently, theelectromagnets of the relay will be alternately energized, but the relaywill not be deenergized by the pulsations of current caused by thepole-changer. When the finger 21 is in electrical connection with themercury in the cup 14, current will flow from the battery 6, through thewinding 8, the wire 17, the mercury in the cup 14, the arm 19, the wire24 and the alarm circuit 28. The alarm circuit is grounded, and,consequently the re turn circuit will flow through the ground and thenthe windings of the accelerator 5 to the negative electrode of thebattery 6. During the period that the finger 22 is in contact with themercury in the cup 15, and the finger 21 is raised out of the mercury inthe cup 14, the current will flow from the positive electrode of thebattery 7, through the windings of the accelerator 5 and the groundconnection, the alarm circuit 23, the wire 24, the arm 19, the mercuryin the cup 15, the wire 18, and through the winding 9 to the negativeelectrode of the battery 7. During the intermediate periods, that is,during the time that the fingers 21 and 22 are both submerged in themercury of their respective cups, the flow of current through the wire24 and the alarm circuit 23 ceases, but the flow of current through thewindings 8 and 9 continues. The only effect that the overlapping ofcurrent-flow through the windings 8 and 9 will have on the relay 3, isthat its effective magnetism is approx imately double. This will noteffect the operation of the armature 10, since its actuated spring is soproportioned, that it can not move the armature, while either of theelectro-magnets of the relay are energized.

The accelerating device 5 for the oscillating switch is designed toimpart just enough energy to the pendulum 16 to overcome friction, and,consequently it operates with a small expenditure of energy. Theaccelerator consists of a permanent bar-maget 25, which is pivotallymounted, so that it is capable of oscillating between the poles 26 and27 of an electro-magnet, the windings of which are connected to a wire81 and to the ground. The windings of the electromagnet are so arrangedthat the bar-magnet 25 will be repelled by the pole 27, and attracted bythe pole 26 when current flows from the cup 14, through the wire 24, andvice versa, will be repelled by the pole 26 and attracted by the pole27, when current flows from the cup 15, through the wire 24. WVith thisarrangement, the bar-magnet will move from the pole 27 to the pole 26,during the time that the pendulum 16 is completing the swing, whichmoves the finger 21 into the mercury of the cup 14, and the finger 22out of the mercury of the cup 15. The barmagnet 25 will remain in thisposition during the period that the current flows through lating switch.

the wire 24 from the cup 14, and during the period of zero flow throughthe circuit 23. As soon as the pendulum moves the finger 21 out of themercury in the cup 15, the magnetism of the electro-magnet is reversedand the pole 26 repels, and the pole 27 attracts the bar-magnet. Byproviding a finger 28 on the bar-magnet, which will engage the pendulum16, this last described motion of the bar-magnet is employed toaccelerate the pendulum.

In the apparatus illustrated, the oscillating switch will deliver analternating cur rent to the circuit 23 and the relay 3 will not beattected by the operation of the oscil- However, it the circuit 23 isopened, by the operation of any one of the signal devices 29,diagrammatically illustrated in the circuit, the relay will bedeenergized and the armature 10 will complete the local circuit 11. Thesignal devices 29 may be, and preferably are, similar to those describedin my copending application serially numbered 592,761.

T contemplate employing my invention in connection with apparatus forautomatically cutting the oscillating switch out of the alarm circuit,and for connecting the relay 3 directly to the alarm circuit, so thatthe alarm circuit is subjected to direct-current. The apparatus forperforming this function is rendered operative by the first movement ofthe armature 10, occasioned by a break in the alarm circuit 23,consequently, the alarm circuit will be subjected to direct-current,after the first break, occasioned by the operation of one of the alarmboxes or devices 29, and the subsequent breaks occa sioned by thecontinuing operation of the operating alarm box or device will actuatethe armature 10 in the usual manner. It is important that the firstbreak occasioned by the operation of any one of the alarm de-' vices 29shall be longer than the period of Zero-current on the circuit 23, toinsure a demagnetization of the relay 3. With my invention, the relaywill operate in response to makes and breaks in the alarm circuit,occasioned by the alarm box 29, and will not be subjected to periods ofzero-current.

What I claim is 1. In combination with an alarm circuit, a relay deviceprovided with two electromagnetic windings, a separate source of directcurrent supply delivering current to said windings, an oscillatingswitch con nected to said windings and adapted to deliver current tosaid. circuit, first from one and then the other source of currentsupply.

2. In combination with an alarm circuit, a relay provided with separateelectro-magnetic windings, separate sources of direct current supplydelivering current of opposite sign to said windings, an oscillatingswitch connected to said windings and adapted to deliver current to saidalarm circuit, first from one source of current supply and then to theother.

3. In combination with an alarm circuit, two separate sources ofdirect-current supply connected to one lead of said circuit, and adaptedto alternately deliver current of opposite sign thereto, and anoscillating switch connected with the other lead of said circuit, andadapted to alternately connect one and then the other source of supplywith said last mentioned lead.

a. In combination with an alarm circuit, an instrument provided with twoseparate electro-magnet windings, a separate source of direct-currentsupply connected to each of said windings, and an oscillating switchconnected to said windings and to said circuit for delivering current tosaid circuit, first from one source of supply and then from the other,and for causing the periods of current-flow through the separatewindings to overlap.

In combination with an alarm circuit, an instrument provided with twoseparate electro-magnet windings, a separate source of direct-current ofopposite sign connected to each of said windings, an oscillating switchconnected to each of said windings and to said circuit, and providedwith means for delivering current to said circuit, first from one sourceof supply and then the other,.and for causing the periods of flowthrough said windings to overlap.

6. In combination with a circuit, two separate sources of currentsupply, an oscillating switch relay having a separate terminal connectedto each source of supply, a circuit breaker connected to said circuit,and adapted to oscillate to connect one and then the other of saidsources of current supply with said circuit, and means for oscillatingsaid circuit breaker.

7. In combination with a circuit, two separate sources of currentsupply, an oscillating switch relay having a separate terminal connectedwith each source of supply, and means for alternately connecting saiterminals with said circuit.

' 8. In combination with a circuit, two separate sources of currentsupply, an oscillating switch relay having a separate terminal connectedwith each source of supply, pendulum actuated means for alternatelyconnecting said terminals to said circuit, and an electrically actuatedaccelerator for actuating said means.

9. In combination with a circuit, two sources of direct-current supply,a relay device and an oscillating switch for connecting said relaydevice to said circuit, and provided with means for delivering currentto said circuit, first from one source of supply and then from theother, and for causing the periods of flow from said sources throughsaid relay to overlap.

10. In combination with a circuit an oscillating switchconnecting'separate sources of direct-current, a mercury cupelectrically connected with each source, a pendulum actuated barconnected to an alarm circuit and adapted to make electrical connectionthrough each mercury cup between one and then the other of said sourcesand said circuit, and an accelerator actuated by the reversal of currentthrough said circuit for actuating said pendulum.

11. In combination with a circuit, a source of direct current supply, arelay device, an oscillating switch comprising means for deliveringcurrent, first in one direction and then the other, from said source ofsupply to said circuit, and for causing a continuous flow of currentfrom said source to said relay during the operation of said oscillatingswitch.

JAMES D. NELSON.

Witnesses:

E. M. MOCALLISTER, WALTER F. MURRAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

